The Foreigner
by AeroShifty
Summary: An American student comes to Fumizuki Academy to escape his past and visit an old friend. This is the story of the interactions between him and class F as he talks, runs, and fights his way around the FFF, tests, Himeji's food, local riffraff, and a new kind of test war.
1. Chapter 1

Sooooo... this is my first story, which means that there will probably be some out-of-character moments, continuity errors, jokes that fall flat, or just plain bad writing. If you spot anything that could be fixed or improved then I would love to hear your feedback. If the quality of this work makes you want to blood eagle me (look it up), please turn off your computer and stay away from the internet for the sake of your own sanity.

[Dialogue in brackets is in English.]

_Italics are for a character's thoughts_

* * *

~**Chapter 1~**

Liam stared at the Japanese countryside through the small window of the Boeing 747. While his ticket hadn't been for a window seat, the traveling teenager had been pleasantly surprised to find that the entire row was empty save for himself. Realizing that it was almost time to land, Liam's nervousness returned.

_What if four semesters worth of cram Japanese isn't enough?_ He thought as he continued to stare out at the landscape. _You've always been good with languages in the classroom but it's not like you've ever actually been to a country with a foreign language. Judging from her e-mails she still speaks English very well, but you can't make her translate for you all the time._

I was suddenly taken from my thoughts by a loud chime from the speakers overhead followed by the announcement that the plane was soon to land. The seat belt icon was lit up but my belt was still secure since the plane had taken off. Stewardesses began to walk up and down the aisles to make sure that everyone was secure. The announcement was then repeated in Japanese.

_Oh crap, you didn't understand a word of that even though you already knew what he would say. You're doomed to complete dependence and confusion... Wait! Maybe you just couldn't understand the announcement because it was being made over the crackly airplane speaker. You could totally make out most of a conversation with an actual person._

A stewardess began to speak to another passenger across the isle.

"Hello sir, ... please ... thank you."

_CRAP BASKETS! OK, time for Plan B. You could pretend you're deaf and try communicating exclusively through gestures. No, that's a terrible idea, just wing it. You're teacher did say that it would take a week or two for everything to click._

I began to distract myself from my worries by looking at the view as the plane landed on the runway. Unfortunately, my mind simply changed gears to other worries.

_We've both done a lot of growing since we last met. Will it be weird living in the same house? Nah, it's not like you'll be alone, and it's never been weird before. Regardless, she's the last person that you can still truthfully call your friend._

I made my way off of the plane and began to search for any faces I recognized. Failing to locate my friend, I decided to go and collect my luggage. Luckily, the signs in the airport had Japanese in English lettering on them underneath the kanji characters so I had only a little trouble finding my way around the building. After a short walk, I reached the conveyor belt that held the baggage from the plane I just came in on. I waited as the carousel slowly brought people their luggage.

_Wow, those blue bags must be pretty popular, six of them have gone by already._

I continued to watch the bags go by...

_Where's my bag?!_

Looking at the clock on the wall reveals that I had been standing there for ten minutes, meaning the carousel must have run all the way around at least a dozen times already. Confused, I snatch my plane ticket out of my pocket and look around at the signs hanging from the ceiling.

_Yes, this is definitely the right place..._

Great, in the course of half an hour I had managed to lose track of both my friends and my luggage. Eventually, everyone else walked away from the baggage conveyor, leaving only a solitary unclaimed bag which bared absolutely no resemblance to my own.

*giggle*

I spun around to find a little girl with pigtails looking up at me with my bag behind her. She looked kind of familiar.

"Looking for something?" The little girl said, continuing to stare at my face. After a moment of thought, I was able to respond.

"Yes, thanks for finding my bag for me." I smiled as I reached for the bag. I knew full well that she had to have taken the bag in the first place, but decided not to antagonize the little kid. Before I could reach the bag however; the girl had already cut me off.

"No Liam nii-chan, this is my bag. I found it." The little girl said with a mischeivous expression on her face.

_Of all the nerve! Wait, how does she know your name? Why did she call you nii-san?_

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. I brought my hand back and ceded control of the bag.

"Okay Hazuki, you can hold onto it for now." I said smiling, having finally understood the situation. "You've grown so much! You couldn't even walk when I last saw you. I bet you don't even remember me do you?" I crouched down so that I was at eye-level with Hazuki.

"Nuh-uh, you were the silly nii-chan that ran into the glass door at Uncle Ryuu's house." Hazuki matter-of-factly.

I touched my forehead where I could still feel the impact of that door, even after all these years.

_Of all the things for her to remember..._

"Anyway, where is your big sister?" Glossing over her last comment.

Hazuki grinned. "She's right behind you!"

Without looking behind me or showing a hint of surprise (Not to be confused for a lack of surprise, for I had no idea there was anyone behind me) I took on a whimsical expression.

"[Since when did you two get all sneaky?]" I asked as I stood up and brought myself face to face with the smiling expression of my only remaining friend, Minami Shimada. Well, at least I would be face to face with her if she wasn't almost a full head shorter than me. I guess I'd grown a lot more than I thought.

"[Hey Minami, when did you get so shor-OOF!]" My question was met with a swift punch to the gut, knocking the wind right out of me.

"[Hey Liam, when did you run out of breath so easily?]" Minami retorted as I recovered from the blow.

_Well she's as prideful as ever._

Hazuki let out a laugh. "What did he say, what did he say?" she asked excitedly. Now that I think about it, I could understand Hazuki a lot better than any of the adults I ran into.

"Just something stupid." Minami said as she patted her little sister on the head.

Having caught my breath, I turned to Minami. "[Hey Minami, would you mind speaking in Japanese as much as possible? I'm having a little trouble getting used to it.]"

Her expression changed to one of sympathy. "Sure, I remember ... at first. Let's go to the station and ... sleep."

_This is going to be a long semester._

* * *

Oh, the annoying things that are introductions. Hopefully I've managed to leave you asking questions.  
*Narrator voice*  
What happened to Liam's other friends? What is his past with the Shimada family? Will he get used to Japanese, or will his poor listening skills be used as a contrived plot device? Why is there no Akihisa in this story yet?

You will probably find the answer to some of these questions if you still remember this story by the time I get around to publishing the next chapter.


	2. Ch 2: Idiots, Trials, and Introductions

**Hello everybody! Thanks a lot for the reads and reviews. Sorry this update took so long. This chapter has been sitting around so long that this section went out of date twice. Hopefully, this is the chapter where everything finally gets set up for the plot to happen. Anyway, read on.**

**Once again,**

[This is English] : _This is thought_ : "This is Japanese"

* * *

~**Chapter 2~**

"We're going to be late." An annoyed Minami said as she fast-walked beside me.

"Do you have any idea what time it is back in the states?" I replied through a yawn. We were both wearing Fumizuki academy uniforms as we walked down the street, having already split up with Hazuki on her way to her own school. Eventually we reached the gate to the school grounds.

"Darn, I was ... friends before class but at least we're not late." Minami glanced at the clock as we stepped into the building. I dropped back and began to follow Minami down the hallway, looking through each of the open doors as we went by.

_Not bad, looks about the same as an American public school._

I saw a sign labeled "Class E" up ahead.

_Okay... that looks a bit run down. I guess this is due to the summoner system._ _I wonder what class F is like._

We walked up to the appropriately labeled door at the end of the hall. It was shut so I couldn't see inside, but loud noises and shouting from inside the room only made me more curious. Minami stopped in front of the door and turned to face me.

"Okay, I already talked to Nishi-" Her sentence was cut off by panicked screams coming from the classroom.

[What's going on in there?!] I start to rush forward, but Minami raises her arm to stop me.

"Don't worry, it sounds like Aki just did something stupid again." Minami let out a small sigh. I can't make out many words, but a low _chant_ is audible behind the screams.

_She's acting so normal when something is clearly going down on the other side of the door. Should you push the subject or just roll with it?_

I never could manage to avoid trouble anyway. I started to push past Minami toward the door when I was once again interrupted. This time by a large man in a casual suit striding towards us.

"Shimada," The man adressed Minami as he approached. "Is this your cousin from America?"

_Cousin? W__ell, I guess you could technically be called cousins._

"Ah, yes Nishimura-sensei, this is Liam Walker." Minami gestured toward me.

"Nice to meet you. Please take good care of me." I exchanged a short bow with the large teacher. If Minami introduced me as her cousin, I won't bother correcting him. The noises from the classroom grew louder, and we could now hear the sounds of objects being knocked over.

"I've already talked with Shimada about your lack of experience with Japanese and I've decided to let her help you if you don't understand something I say in class. I remember how hard it was for Shimada before she adapted to hearing it, and we would like to make it easier on you." Nishimura spoke slowly and clearly to make sure I understood.

"Thank you very much. I'll improve my listening skills as fast as possible." I replied. While he's being very accommodating and Minami was being considerate, it's still unsettling that neither of them are reacting to the sounds from the classroom.

The large teacher checked his watch before starting to move towards the door. "I'm glad to hear it, Wakeru-san. That kind of attitude is certainly a breath a fresh air in this class. Anyway, it's time we introduced you to them."

Ignoring the terrible pronunciation of my last name, I peer around the teacher as he reaches for the door. The racket from inside still hasn't subsided. I brace myself for what is sure to be chaos inside...

Nishimura slid the door open with considerable force. _SHAK!_

Silence...

I followed him into the classroom, warily glancing around for any threats. The room was run down. The mats on the floor were worn down, the windows were broken, and several of the student's stables were in pieces. Everyone in the room was sitting behind their tables as if nothing had been happening, the exception being one student over dramatically dragging himself back to his table.

_Was there a recording? How did they get back to their seats so quickly? I could have sworn someone was dying in here._

"Good morning class, we have a new student from America joining us here today." It was only as the teacher started talking that I realized I was getting stared at by the entire class. "Now he actually has... ...unlike Yoshi over there."

"Hey!"

Judging by the protest, Yoshi must be the guy who was dragging himself across the floor earlier.

_Right! Intro time. I'm not sure what Nishimura-sensei just said, but it sounded like a compliment._

"Hi, I'm Liam Walker. It's nice to meet you." The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Almost everyone in the class was eyeing me suspiciously.

_Did you say something wrong? It's almost like their trying to decide whether to kill you or not._

The teacher prompted us to take our seats so I followed Minami towards an empty table a few rows back. As we walked past each row the presence of the classroom became more and more hostile, but Minami seemed completely oblivious to the atmosphere. By the time we sat down, I was certain that the entire class wants me dead. I have to act quickly.

The screams from earlier are still fresh in my mind. I leaned closer to Minami. "[Minami, what's going on in here? These guys want to kill me!]" The killing intent only seems to intensify as I whisper into her ear.

"You don't have to be so nervous, Liam. I'm sure they'll like you." Minami whispered back in a teasing voice. It's no use, she's completely lost it. Not only is she clueless about my impending demise, but the notion of me being nervous because of some strangers is ridiculous.

_Maybe she's right though. The idea that the entire class hates you does seem a little far fetched._

Since there's nothing I can do about it anyway, I decide to try to listen to the teacher's lecture.

"No wait, maybe... ...because he's new." Hushed voices are coming from behind me. "He doesn't even know..." I'm concentrating as hard as I can on hearing this conversation now.

"We'll hold a trial after Ironman leaves, do nothing until then." For whatever reason, it sounds like I'm safe for the moment.

"But he must die for... ...Flat-Chest!" Never mind, they still want to kill me.

"Hold off, he's not a part of the brotherhood!" Scratch that, I still have some hope.

"He's in class F now, he dies." MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!

Nishimura-sensei continued to give his lecture, but I couldn't pay attention to it since I was warily surveying the room around me. Suddenly startled by the feeling of something brushing my neck, I hit the bottom of the table with my knees. I feel embarrassed as the teacher stops to look at the commotion for a second before continuing.  
"Sorry." Minami whispered to me as I realized that it was her ponytail that hit the back of my neck.

I'm even more on edge now. I've completely given up on paying attention to the lesson. Should I pretend to be sick? Ask to go to the bathroom? Just make a run for it? No, I can't leave Minami here. They seem to only be after me, but they may try to get information out of her. What do I do? This pressure is killing me!

Once again, I flinch as something brushes my neck. This time, I glance over at Minami to find her mischievously giggling at my reactions. Why is she teasing me now?! Can't she see what's going on?!

"Guilty!"

"Guilty!"

"He must die!"

NOW YOU MAKE UP YOUR MINDS?!

The stress is killing me. I take my hands away from the marks I've dug into the table with my fingernails as Nishimura finishes his lecture.

_Okay Liam, just make a break for it as soon as your dismissed. It's you they want._

The evil presence behind me seemed to grow the closer we came to the end of class. Nishimura had finished his lecture and is giving his closing statements. Every muscle in my body is wound tight like a coiled spring as I prepare to launch out of my seat. I can feel the malevolent figures behind me revving up as well.

"All right, time for your lunch break and study period. If you idiots spent half the effort you use on test wars for studying you'd have earned you places in class A right now." The teacher commented.

It's almost time. A bead of sweat rolls down my forehead as I put my weight on my feet, ready to bolt.

"Wakeru-san! I'd like for you to stay here and get acquainted with the class."

I nearly fall over from my aborted launch.

_WHAT!?_

I glance around wildly in panic. Strangely, the room seems more calm now. In fact, that killer intent seems completely gone. Keeping myself a alert for threats I acknowledge Nishimura's request and remain seated as he leaves the room.

_Perhaps you were overreacting. It would be strange for the class to want to kill you after you just met. Now that you've come to your senses, it's clear that no one is trying to kill you._

_Of course, people say it always gets really quiet right before the victim gets shived._

_'_THWAK, THWAK, THWAK!'

I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head as I fall forward onto the table. Thinking quicker than I ever have, I stay perfectly still as I lie face down on the table.

"Oh crap! We killed him!" Came a panicked voice.

"Yoshi usually dodges..."

"Liam!" I heard Minami stand up to my left. "What are you jerks doing?!"

It seems like there's only the three voices to worry about. Time to act.

I slam my fist down on the table and raise my head. I turn around and glare at the three startled owners of the voices, all of whom were wearing dark robes resembling those of the KKK. Two pens and a protractor fall off my back as I stand up. Each of them appear crudely sharpened and have a little bit of blood do the tips.

[What's wrong you bastards!? Come get some!] I bellowed at the three students. Any relief they had for seeing me up and moving was quickly replaced with fear of retribution.

_Great, it looks like they don't want to fight. Maybe now you can find out why they threw sharpened school supplies at you._

"Alright, why are you attacking me?" I spoke Japanese in a voice much calmer than before, but still intense. Despite the commotion, a lot of the class seems to be ignoring us.

I can't see their faces behind their hoods, but their stance as they take a step forward clearly indicates a change in attitude. I watch them closely, ready to react if they do anything. Suddenly I hear rustling behind me.

No way...

"BURN THE HERETIC!"

I let off a yelp of surprise as over forty hooded members of the FFF start rushing me from all sides.

* * *

While I was being tried and summarily executed (or at least I think that's what was happening, I didn't understand a single word), I could see Minami talking to the only five people in the room who weren't in the middle of lynching me.

_Huh, wonder what she's talking abooooAAARRGGHHGH!_

After the execution, Minami's group walked over. Two of the boys, a muscular one and a rather effeminate looking one, grabbed my arms on either side and hoisted me onto my feet.

"Wow, not even lunch and the FFF are already after you. You must be more like Akihisa than Ironman thinks." The tall boy grinned as he and his friend turned me to face the group.

It took so long to understand what he was saying that I couldn't think of anything to say.

Minami gave me a concerned look. "I'm sorry, Liam. I didn't think that those forever alone losers would go after you. You must have a pretty bad first impression of F class." She looked a little crestfallen as she said that.

Ah, so that's what she was hiding earlier. Those klan wannabes must have been doing something similar to that Yoshi guy.

The boy who I'd already identified as Yoshi walked up and put his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, my man. Stick with me and I'll teach you the ways of class F." He said in what he undoubtably thought was his cool voice.

"More like the ways of the idiot." The tall boy said.

"HEY! Why... ...Yuuji!" It was hard to understand Yoshi's excited and high pitched voice.

Ignoring the argument, I turn to Minami. "So these are your friends?"

"Yeah. Liam, this is the class rep, Yuuji, then Aki, Kouta, Hideyoshi, and Mizuki." She gestured to each person in turn. I shook each of their hands, breaking up Yuuji and Aki's argument in the process.

"So, _Ree-a-mu_, do you mind if I ask how you ended up in class F?" Yuuji asked.

"Well, I took the test and it was full of kanji I couldn't read. Oh and it's _Lee-um_ by the way." I politely corrected Yuuji. I may have let the teacher get my last name wrong, but having my first name constantly pronounced wrong might get on my nerves.

"_Ree-a-mu._" He tried to pronounce my name again.

"No,no, _Leeee-am_." I drew out the word.

"_Reeee-am_." Well, at least he dropped the vowel at the end. I gave him a nod and a thumbs up; a Japanese 'R' is close enough to an 'L' I suppose.

"_Lee-am_" Aki said my name almost perfectly.

"Hey that's it! You just [rocked] that L [like a Boss!]" I congratulated him, but I think my English may have confused him.

The rest of the group looked at him in disbelief.

"Dude, say that again." Yuuji said to Akihisa with skepticism.

"Hey! You're doubting my ability to speak now? You just can't stand that I succeeded where you failed." He said defensively.

"No, I'm just saying that scientific results have to be recreatable, especially when their from an idiot." Yuuji retorted. I get the distinct impression that 'idiot' is Akihisa's nickname around here.

"Hey, we idiots are a more credible source than liars like you!"

The two of them get riled up to the point where I give up trying to understand what they're saying. Suddenly a connection was made in my mind.

"Hey, Aki, you must be the 'idiot big brother' Hazuki was talking about, right?" Minami's little sister had started talking about the class F student until Minami suddenly clamped a hand over her sister's mouth.

"Oh, that's Minami's little sister, right?" Hideyoshi spoke up. Akihisa seemed too distracted to have heard the question.

"Yeah. She wouldn't stop talking about how much fun I'd have with her idiot big brother-"

"Liam!" Minami tried to interrupt me.

"-until she fell asleep. What's up, Minami?" I asked after finishing my sentence. Minami only sighed and face palmed.

"Oh, are you staying at the Shimada house then?" The other girl named Mizuki asked.

"Yeah, Minami and Hazuki picked me up at the airport just last night." I answered without thinking.

"You shouldn't have said that, man." The blue haired boy named Kouta spoke up for the first time.

"Huh? Why's tha-"

"BURN THE HERETIC!"

* * *

**Poor Liam. It looks like he won't be able to stay off the FFF's radar. Don't worry though, he'll have his revenge in time.**

**Sorry again for such a long time between updates. This next one should be along much sooner; and please, feel free to leave reviews.**


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